This course is a study of modern Arabic literary forms in the context of the major political and social changes which shaped Arab history in the first half of the twentieth century. The aim of the course is to introduce students to key samples of modern Arabic literature which trace major social and political developments in Arab society. Each time the class will be offered with a focus on one of the literary genres which emerged or flourished in the twentieth century: the free verse poem, the prose-poem, drama, the novel, and the short story. We will study each of these emergent genres against the socio-political backdrop which informed it. All readings will be in English translations. The class will also draw attention to the politics of translation as a reading and representational lens.

Foundational Approach

Term Offered

Course usually offered in spring term

Foundational Approaches

Cross Cultural Analysis

Format

Instructor Name

Instructor Type

Standing Faculty

Instructor Status

Standing Faculty

Place in Curriculum

This is an introductory course to the NELC major. It is also relevant to students interest in literature in general, poetry, modernist movement, and translation studies. It also serves as an introduction to the modern Middle East.

Instructor's objectives

At the end of the course students should be able to demonstrate:
1. The ability to identify some of the important literary themes and trends in Modern Arabic poetry
2. The ability to apply some of the basic approaches of critical theory to works of literature and especially to close-readings of poetry
3. Skills in the use of literary and critical sources

Methods of Assessment

Number and size of paper(s) assigned

5 Written Responses (5 pages each): The writing assignments will either be a close reading of one of the poems or a response to one of the critical readings. Consider what insights into the process of translation comparison of one translation offers and think about the way different translations can produce different images of this body of literature

Number and type of exams

One 12 to15 page paper: This assignment is a research paper in which student focus on a poet or a school of poetry or a recurrent theme. The study must focus on close reading of texts in addition to supplementary research. Student's also have the option of taking a comparative approach by drawing on other poetic traditions you are familiar with. The issue of translation may be focus as well.

Other Requirements

Regular weekly informal class presentations
A final conference-like presentation on final paper topic

Cross Cultural Analysis

How does the course examine the social values, institutions, and patterns of organization of a culture from within its own perspective?

admin approval (went through two committees last spring, this should have been added then).

How does the course consider the relationships AMONG the following aspects of the culture(s) in question: art, religion, literature, philosophy, social behavior and institutions, and responses to other cultures?

admin approval

If the course focuses on a particular element in a culture, can you explain how it relates that element to other more general aspects?

admin approval

How does the course teach students the methods required for sensitive and critical cultural analysis, such as the informed reading of texts, artifacts, and social institutions?

admin approval

Cultural Diversity in the US

The course should examine one or more of the following forms of differentiation: race/ethnicity, immigrant status, social class, gender, sexual orientation, religious affiliation. Which does it emphasize?

The course may emphasize a comparative perspective within a particular classification scheme (for example, African Americans and Hispanics). If so, please describe:

The course may examine the intersection between two or more of these means of differentiation (for example, race and immigrant status, minority status and sexual orientation). If so, please describe:

The course should address issues of inequality, stratification, and power. Please explain how it does so.

What is the primary method of analysis for the course? (For example, analysis of social scientific data, critical reading of literature, and so forth.)

Quantitative Data Analysis

Prerequisites

Who is the course intended for?

Sample assignments or exam questions.

Do students actively analyze and interpret quantitative data? Explain.

Do students interpret quantitative data to evaluate hypotheses and/or to understand phenomena in the real world? Explain.

What types of quantitative analyses are included in the course? For example, do students learn concepts of random variability and elementary level of statistical analysis of data?

Formal Reasoning

Do students learn formal structures of thought and how to apply them to understand phenomena in the real world? Explain.

If the course also engages students in the statistical analysis of empirical data, is the preponderance of attention give to formal structures implicated in deductive reasoning rather than on inductive reasoning from data to empirical generalizations? Explain.

Types of Analysis: What types of formal analysis are included in the course? For example, do students learn concepts of mathematics, formal logic, formal linguistics, computation and algorithmic thinking, decision theory, or some combination of these?